descant
descant is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 3 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments. Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant! De Quincey.
- 2.To sing a variation or accomplishment.
- 3.To comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large. A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions. Addison.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- article
- canvass
- commentary
- commentator
- consideration
- critic
- criticism
- critique
- deal
- delve
- discourse
- discoursive
- discursive
- discuss
- discussion
- disquisition
- disquisitionary
- dissert
- dissertation
- editorial
- essay
- essayist
- excursus
- explanation
- exposition
- expository
- expound
- forth
- handle
- hold
- homily
- inquiry
- into
- investigation
- justice
- leader
- leading
- lecture
- length
- memoir
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is descant.
- What is a discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments. Upon that simplest of themes how magnificent a descant! De Quincey called?
- What is to comment freely; to discourse with fullness and particularity; to discourse at large. A virtuous man should be pleased to find people descanting on his actions. Addison called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/descant
- Steward: Jason Burns